Need to see if a watch can take a beating? Send it to the ends of the earth. Japanese watch manufacturer Seiko created its first dive watch in 1965. With water resistance to 150m and an automatic movement, the timepiece was acclaimed on a global scale after being worn by members of the 8th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition in 1966. By virtue of this, Seiko’s dive watches were chosen by the same research team between 1966 and 1969.
However, the Japanese watch manufacturer didn’t rest on its laurels, setting about to create an even more impressive dive watch. The resultant timepiece was a highly-precise diver’s watch with a 10-beat automatic movement and 300m water resistance, born in 1968. Now, the seminal dive watch has been given a new lease on life, reborn as the Seiko 1968 Diver’s Modern Re-Interpretation Limited Edition SLA055. The new timepiece builds upon its predecessor’s qualifications – equipped to withstand the most extreme conditions on earth, it will be worn by members of the 63rd Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition.
Although aesthetically the new Seiko Prospex SLA055 pays homage to its 1968 forefather, every element has been updated to meet the high level of dive watch technology the Prospex collection is known for. The case, bezel, and crown are crafted from Seiko’s Ever-Brilliant Steel, a grade of stainless steel the Japanese watch manufacturer claims is more resistant to corrosion than steel commonly used in watches today. Rather than being screwed directly into the case, the crown is locked into a separate component that is built into the case; a design change made to ensure increased durability.
The Seiko 1968 Diver’s Modern Re-Interpretation Limited Edition SLA055 is powered by a calibre 8L35 automatic movement, specifically developed for dive watches and hand-assembled at the Shizukushi Watch Studio in Northern Japan. According to Seiko, “the movement’s rigidity and accuracy ensure the highest possible levels of performance in the most demanding environments, both on land and underwater.”
The dial design of the watch aptly reflects its Antarctic history, featuring a subtle graduation of blue from light to dark, echoing the colours of the polar ice. Each of the hands and hour indices comes coated in Lumibrite, while the crystal is a dual-curved sapphire with an anti-reflective coating on the inner surface.
The watch is offered on both a silicone rubber strap and a fabric strap that utilises a traditional braiding technique from Japan called seichu. Another rerelease titled the 1968 Diver’s Modern Re-interpretation Limited Edition SLA057J1 boasts the same specification in a black colourway faithful to the original design. Both are available in limited runs – of 1300 and 600, respectively – from January 2022.
Words by AR Staff
